Pausing to encounter
Do you remember your experience of Advent as a child? I remember watching week by grueling week as a new candle was lit on the Advent wreath. Every day I opened a new door on my Advent calendar, maybe sneaking a peek at the next day to see what was ahead. It seemed like Christmas would never come, but what a joy when it finally arrived!
As an adult I find that the weeks of Advent fly by as I hurry to finish my shopping, decorate the house, bake way too many cookies and squeeze in my favorite holiday movies. Rather than eagerly anticipating Christmas, I wish for time to slow down so that I can get it all done. Then, as suddenly as it arrives, Christmas is over. The Christmas music stops playing, the decorations come down, and we’re off to start the new year. It’s easy to get so swept up in the hustle and bustle of the season that we lose sight of what it’s really all about – preparing ourselves for the arrival of Christ and the hope that he promises.
How often do we lose sight of what our work is about? With the goal of providing effective and efficient service delivery, it’s easy to get caught up in meeting our deliverables and moving on to the next task at hand or the next client who needs our help. But how well do we pause to truly encounter the person in front of us? Whatever our role in this ministry, we are called to authentic relationships that affirm the dignity of the other as made in the image and likeness of God. Through our relationships with our clients, colleagues and supporters we have the privilege to bear Christ’s love to them.
This Advent I hope that I can slow down and reclaim some of my childlike anticipation of Christmas – not about what will be under the tree but about how Christ will continue to reveal himself to me through those he places in my path and how he will use me to spread his light and hope in the world.
Allison Cavazos serves as Director of Mission Effectiveness for Catholic Charities of Central Texas in Austin.